


Dating Advice

by ernads, SomethingIncorporeal



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Anxiety, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, Podfic, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Available, Podfic Length: 20-30 Minutes, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-03 11:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11531565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ernads/pseuds/ernads, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomethingIncorporeal/pseuds/SomethingIncorporeal
Summary: Yuri receives some counselling from a mysterious source.If only he knew who was giving him dating advice...





	Dating Advice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tamara_russo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamara_russo/gifts).



> ***There is a work skin active. Please do not disable it:)***
> 
> Dedicated with love and gratitude to Tamara_russo for introducing me to Yuri on Ice, and to Hagar for constant advice and support during the writing of this fic.

**Title:** Dating Advice  
**Length:** 21:49  
**Format:** MP3  & Streaming  


**Complete Podfic  
**

****

[ Mobile Streaming ](http://www.somethingincorporeal.parakaproductions.com/Podfic/Dating%20Advice.mp3)

[**Download File**](http://www.somethingincorporeal.parakaproductions.com/Podfic/Dating%20Advice.mp3)  
_(Right-Click, Save. <3)_

Yuri is not nervous. At all.  


He’s 15 years old , and already was the two time consecutive Junior Grand Prix gold winner. For ten years running he walked 5 kilometers uphill - snow,rain or shine - to and from skating practice. Every single day. He’s the renowned Ice Tiger of Russia, striking fear in the hearts Paparazzi, JJ Girls, and ornery skating coaches everywhere.  


_And_ he had won gold in his very first senior debut against Yuuri Katsuk.  


No, he is not afraid or nervous at all. Why should he be? After all he’s accomplished, how hard was it to fall in love?  
Quite hard,apparently,when you're also renowned as the One and Only Russian Punk.  
***  


Yuri had long grown used to loneliness. His father had deserted him and his mom shortly after his birth. So of course, he was an only child. He’d had no playmates, and the gift of making friends and socializing was never his.  


As for his mom: She didn’t abandon him. However, she might as well have done.  


It’s not that she was ever rude, mean or abusive to him - Yuri knew just how much worse his childhood could have been. She just wasn’t the sort who paid attention. Yuri did most of the damage to himself, with his futile hope that one day she would see him, one day she would start to care. But she never did. She just made him feel like a nobody, like he didn’t even exist..  


If not for his beloved Grandpa, he would have never known the meaning of actual love or affection. And his cat, of course. (She was found three years ago, in an alley near the rink. So he named her Kаток - Rink in Russian.)  


He grew up alone, hiding his feelings behind a sullen bitter mask. Few ever saw the lonely, anxious boy behind the mask.  


Otabek Altin did.  
***  


They met for the first time five years ago, at Yakov’s Summer Camp. Yuri recalled a quiet, stoic, introverted boy with dark hair and wide brown eyes. As Otabek was three years older than him, they didn't interact much. (To a ten-year-old, three years seemed huge). But Yuri remembered him. Something about Otabek, his quiet strength and determination, impressed him even back then. Not that he said a word about it-not him. After all, Yuri had learned at a young age that the best defense is offense, and he made a point of never letting anyone get close to him. It was just too risky. Emotions were a dangerous liability for someone like him. He had never really learned how to make friends, or handle any emotion besides anger. .  


They met again a few weeks ago during the GPF: Otabek did him a huge favor by rescuing him from his fan club. And then a small miracle had happened; Otabek had offered him friendship. For the first time in his life, someone (an older, good looking someone) had offered to be his friend.  


Yuri was rather stunned. However he accepted the offer. Much to his surprise he found himself developing affection for his new friend. He tried following Otabek to his favorite club, and soon found out he couldn't seem to stop thinking about the older skater. He began stalking his Twitter and Instagram (under a pseudonym of course-it wouldn't do to let his rink mates discover his little crush. Mila and Victor would never let him hear the end of it). He hunted YouTube for every one of his songs, and to watch as much of Otabek’s skating as possible. He read every bit of news about him.  


In short, he was in deep deep trouble, and the worst part was that there was no one he could talk with about this. Aside from Grandfather. But despite their closeness the very thought was…ahhhh. There are just some things you can't bring to your grandpa. News of his 15 year-old grandson falling in love with a guy several years older than him was one such example.  


He briefly considered consulting with Victor, and even with Yuuri. He did tease Katsudon without mercy, but over the last few months, reluctant affection and admiration grew within him toward Yuuri. Considering Katsudon’s intense anxiety disorder, his achievements were remarkable (not that he would ever let Yuuri know that). However, he just couldn’t bring himself to talk with anyone he knew in real life. He had an image to maintain, after all. The Ice Tiger of Russia couldn’t be seen as an terrified boy, riddled with anxiety, who can’t even bring himself to send a simple email.  


Thankfully he lived in the age of the internet, because simply realizing he had the hots for the Hero of Kazakhstan had been difficult enough. The internet provided him with a way to interact with other people anonymously.  


So he created a Facebook account and joined a community for people with anxiety. In his current state of mind, he just went down to the first forum he found and made an account as Icecub. There were quizzes and profiles available, but he bypassed those for the time being. It was the chat feature that drew him in the most. The group seemed to have a very active chat room. Although, he was still not entirely comfortable with the idea of actually utilizing his brand-new account.  


However, he couldn’t get Otabek out of his thoughts. Day by day his obsession - and anxiety - grew. One day, after a hard afternoon of training, embarrassed and shaking with some unnamed emotion, Yuri booted up his laptop, mostly on auto pilot and accessed his account.  


Icecub; "hi I’m new around here. Do you mind if I ask something"?>  


Porkmate: "Hey dude, welcome aboard the **Mery Ship Lollipop** ".  


Porkmate: "And of course you can ask something, that’s why we’re here".  


Icecub: "Umm, there is this guy I like and I don’t know how to approach him and ask him out, and I’m, like...I have zero experience with mushy stuff".  


Porkmate: " it’s perfectly fine, all of us here have social issues, you know. I nearly fainted when my fiance made his first move on me. Although he did create a rather...interesting scene." 

Icecub:"Sounds interesting...what did he do? Propose to you on live TV?"  


Porkmate:"....close enough…"  


Icecub:"I really like this guy but…"  


Porkmate: "But you’re afraid. It’s OK. Everyone here has issues, it’s why we have this group".  
  


Porkmate: "But lets have some info: How long do you know this guy? Is he older or younger than you, and do you share any hobbies"?  


Icecub:"He is three years older than me, I know him well for a few month now, and yes, we share several hobbies".  


Porkemate: "Do you mind if I ask you - are you sexually attracted to him"?  


Yuri blanched and hurriedly closed the chat tab. _Are you sexually attracted to him? Are you? Are you?_ Those words seared into his mind.  


It was hard enough to talk with virtual strangers about his crush. It was much harder to confront, even to himself, that he is actually sexually attracted to another guy.  


Meanwhile, the chat room was very active.  


porkmate: "Icecub, are you there?"  


Porkmate: "Icecub?"  


Vicrake: "Pork, really. The poor guy is here for the first time, and you ask him about _his sex life?_ I mean, really. You’ve scared him off".  


Porkmate: "Man, I really didn’t mean to *Facepalm*".  


Vicrake: I know you didn't, милая. Just...*snicker* The Yuuri I've met one year ago would have fainted before he asked a stranger about his sex life". 

Porkmate: ""No argument about that, ヴィーチャ. The Yuuri you've met last year actually did faint when you've introduced yourself to him in nothing but your skin... Not the way I imagined to meeting you for the first time... .  


Vicrake:*sulk* "Are you saying you didn't like the sight, моя любовь? I'm hurt! Really, really hurt and insulted by this!" *Pute*  


Porkmate: *panic* いいえ いいえ いいえ 愛しいあなた, I think you're the most handsome man I've ever saw, I was just startled is all...  


_Vicrake: *laughing*" I know,дорогая, I know, I'm just teasing you..."  
_

_Porkmate: " _Victor_ you're the worst tease ever. Really. Lucky thing I love you".  
_

__

Vicrake: " I know".  


Porkmate:" Anyhow regarding our new friend , I really hope he will come back so that I can make it up to him."  


Vicrake:" Don't worry дорогая he will calm down eventually and come back."  


Indeed, despite his initial panic attack, Yuri calmed down considerably by the end of the night . After his initial panic attack subsided, he realized that didn’t use any identifying marks in his profile, so the chance that anyone one will be able to connect Icecub the Anxious Kitten to Yuri, Ice Tiger of Russia who had won gold in his first Senior debut, are rather small. 

And if he was very honest with himself, there was quite a relief in having someone to talk to about his confused feelings. It made his head spin a little, how complex life could be... But it eased the nervous feeling in his chest significantly. There were other people out there who were like him, or who at least understood how hard anxiety could be. There were other people out there who liked other guys,and could understand how terrified he was by the very thought of friendship,love,intimacy.  


Over the next few weeks his use of other chat groups dwindled significantly. Yuri had more friends online than in his classes, but that didn't bother him. He still didn't have a lot of free time, but when he did, unwinding and joking around in a chat group did wonders for his state of mind.  
***  


(Six weeks later)  


It was a hard day of training in the rink, and Yuri was exhausted almost beyond tolerance when he finally reached home that evening. The first competition of the season was only three weeks away. As a result, Yakov grew more irritated and nervous daily and pushed them incredibly hard. In addition to that, Victor and Lover Boy continued to make him sick. He almost regretted moving to Saint Petersburg to train with Victor. Mila continued to tease and nag him mercilessly, and Georgi was...Georgi. At least the so-called Evil Witch now had Katsuki to whine about his tragic love life to, thank heavens for small mercies. (The Japanese Yuuri was a sweet-natured, merciful soul, and he was much more patient then Yuri could ever hope to be.)  


The icing on the cake was, of course, Otabek. Although he still couldn’t initiate any contact with him, despite the advice and support he received from his Internet friends. At first, when he learned that Otabek was assigned to the same competition as him, he was thrilled, simply because it was a perfect opportunity to meet him again.  


Now, however, he felt mild panic. Otabek hadn’t initiated any contact with him since Barcelona. What if he’d changed his mind? What if he regretted offering him friendship after only spending a few days together and getting to know him? And anyway, he didn’t even know if Otabek liked boys that way. While it was true that Otabek was the one who offered him friendship, there was not even the slightest hint that he meant anything more than platonic friendship. And if it was so, and Otabek found out about his secret crush for him, Yuri would never get over it. It might also destroy any chance for being “just friends” with Otabek.  


However, he couldn’t get the other boy out of his mind. So as soon as he finished dinner and had seen to the needs of Grandpa and his cat, Yuri settled down on the couch with his laptop.  


It was almost 1 am, the front windows were wide open, letting in the delicately cool night breeze. Grandpa was snoring in his room, and Kаток was curled right beside him with her soft velvety head snuggled against his knees.  


With one hand Yuri had caressed her absentmindedly while opening the laptop with the other. He logged into his account. The chat room looked quite busy considering the late hour.  
  


Porkmate:“hey dude what’s up? Not seen you for a while. I was getting worried about you! ”  


Icecub:“The last few days were really really busy, I'm afraid, it's quite a madhouse around here. But I’m freaking out. There’s this big event in a few weeks and O will be there and I’ve not even sent him a single mail yet! What if he doesn’t like me, what if it will put him off if he learns I like him?!"  


Porkmate:“Ice, I can really sympathise with how you feel about this. I’ve been struggling with an anxiety disorder for most of my life. Taking risks is terrifying. Even for healthy people.”  


Icecub: “And your point is...”  


Porkmate:“And my point is: if you take the risk you at least have some chance of success. If you don’t, then your chances of failure automatically rise to 100%." "  


Icecub:“...True. But how do I make a move on him without frightening him off?”  


Porkmate:“Try to look at this from his perspective? Perhaps he’s also very shy and reserved, perhaps he’s afraid to make contact with you. So, why not send a very tame message by email or Twitter. Something neutral like: “Hey O, what’s up? I’m going on a trip to New York in two weeks”.  


Icecub: *blush* "I’ll...try"  


Porkmate:*laugh*"Good. The important thing - don’t say anything about wanting to meet him. If he’s jittery it might scare him off. Wait to see if and what he responds with, and we’ll see from there".  


Icecub: "Thanks man, you’re a lifesaver. I was really starting to bite my own tail about this. Who would have believed that such a simple thing could drive me into a panic attack".  


Porkmate: “I do. Been there, done that. You really have no idea how shy and anxious I was a year ago...my boyfriend had quite a positive impact on me.”  


Icecub: “Yeah. People who don’t suffer from depression and anxiety just don’t understand.”  


Porkmate:"That's so true. Well, go for it while you still have the nerves and if you need more advice, message me. If I’m not online I’ll mail you back or something. Good luck :)"  


Icecub: "Thanks Pork."  


Yuri logged off and opened his email account. Before they went their separate ways, Otabek and Yuri had exchanged emails. For several long moments he just sat there, staring at his computer without really seeing anything. Finally he began:  


"Hey Otabek, what’s up? I’m training hard for the Tokyo event in three weeks. I plan to arrive there about 3 days early since Katsudon will not up about how great Tokyo is and how I must tour it. (We are training together now, the piggy had moved in with Victor a while back). 

I hope you’re well. Yuri".  


Yuri shuddered deeply. What a lame email...dear god. His first impulse was to delete the whole damn thing. However, he took a deep breath,closed his eyes in order to avoid rereading his stupid email, before pressing send blindly.  


He sighed deeply, almost overwhelmed by fatigue, and leaned back in his seat, gazing at nothing in particular.  


But, he had _done_ it. Even if nothing will come out of this, at least he knows he tried.  


just this once.  
***  


(24 hours later)  


It must have been the coffee he’d had at dinner. Everyone knows that you're not supposed to consume caffeine after four o'clock. Not if you want to go to bed before 3 AM.  


A great yawn split his face. He was so exhausted. And yet despite the intense fatigue his mind remained acutely active, and he couldn't find a comfortable spot in bed.  


Yuri valiantly tried soft music, white noise, soothing lavender oil, lavender tea, and even counting sheep. Nothing worked.  


One. Two. Three. Four. The sheep kept coming. Sleep, however, did not.  


By four in the morning he gave up. He growled and dragged himself tiredly out of bed. It's obviously was a White Night and Yuri saw no reason to extend his suffering.  


Yuri padded softly to the kitchen; Grandfather was sound asleep and he didn't want to disturb his rest. Since the night was already lost he might as well try to make the best of it.  


He settled wearily front of his computer, coffee cup in hand, and logged on. Perhaps he would find something to distract him.  


Yuri accessed his mail, heard the chime of a “new mail” notification, and his heart nearly skipped a beat. Otabek had replied to him.  
Just a line. One short line that meant everything to him;  


"See you in Tokyo, my friend. I will be waiting.❤️"

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving kudos or a comment. Thank you for reading/listening:)


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